Knockdown burial-casket



F. E. HOLLINS.

KNOCKDOWN BURIAL CASKET.

APPLICATION mm NOV. 20. 1920.

1,373,730. Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHE! l. 5 J/ :3, I {710% j 4Z2,

F. E. HOLLINS. KNOCKDOWN BUHIAL CASKET.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20, I920- 1,373,730. Patented A r. 5, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- side members rnnnnnrcx E. HOLLINS,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF SOMEBVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

KNOGKIDOWN IB'UEIAL-CASKET.

Application filed November 20, 1920.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK E. H01.- nmsm, citizen of the United States, residing at Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Knoc down Burial-Caskets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to burial caskets including separably connected members, adapted to be compactly stored for shipment, and'conveniently set up or assembled, to form an operative casket.

The invention is embodied in the improvements hereinafter described and claimed, on caskets of this character, and particularly that disclosed by my Patent No. 782,563, dated February 14, 1905.

. Of the accompanying drawings forming a art of this specification,-

"gure 1 is aside elevation embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same. 1

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section on line 3-3 of Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on of Figs. 1 and 2.

Fi 5 is a fragmentary perspective view, showings. portion of the bottom member of of a casket line 4-4 the casket.

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 5. 'aFig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view,

showing a portion of one of the side members.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view, showing one of .the corner members. 7 Fig. 9 is a perspective view, showing one of the anchoring members. 7 r

My improved casket comprises a rectangular oblong bottom member 12, a pair of 13, and a pair of end members 14. Said members are provided with separable interengaging means permitting engagementof the side and end members with the bottom member, byhorizontal sliding movements of the side and end members on the bottom member, the arrangement such that when the members are assembled they form a rectangular oblong box, lower portions of overlapping the edges bet; as shown by Figs.'2 and 3, and the'end portions Fig. 2, so that the body formed by Specification of Letters Patent.

being i a the side and end members of the bottom 'mem-x.

member,

against horizontal displacement rection, after the upper portions and end members are secured together, as

of the end members overlapping the: ends of.the side members as sh Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

Serial No. 425,347.

and end members is confined against horizontal displacement in any direction by the bottom member. By horizontal shdin movements and horizontal displacement mean movements and displacement lengthwise of the longitudinal and transverse ends of the bottom members.

The casket also includes angular external corner members 15, formed to cover the corner portions of the casket body, and means detachably securing the corner members to the side and end members at points above the bottom member, so that all portions of the said body are suitably strong and rigid. I prefer to embody the interengaging means connecting the bottom member with the side and end members, in flanged ribs on the longitudinal and transverse edges of the bottom member, and flanged and channeled reinforcing strips attached to' the side and end members, and slidable into engagement with said flanged ribs.

The flanged ribs on the bottom member are preferably formed by providing the bottom member which is usually of wood, with integral tongues or ribs 16 on its longitudinal and transverse edges, and by attaching metallic disks or washers 17 to said ribs by screws or nails 18, as shown by Figs. 5 and 6, said washers projecting above and below the ribs 16, and forming interrupted flanges or flange portions, adapted to be interengaged with channeled reinforcing strips 19, attached as by screws 20, to the lower portions of the side andend members and lo eated in recesses in the last-named members, so thatthe outer portions or flanges of said strips are flush with the innersurfaces of the side and end members. It will be seen, therefore,that the side and and members may be engaged with the bottom member by sliding their reinforcing strips 19 on to the flanged ribs on the longitudinal edges ofthe bottom member. and that the: end members may be engaged with the bottom member by sliding their longitudinal reinforcing strips on to the flanged ribs on the transverse edges or ends of the bottom memher. When the said members are'assembled,

,thelower edge portions of the side and end embers overlap-the edges ofthe bottom 1 I and are confined by the latter in .any diof the side hereinafter described.

bolts 22 1n the orifices members 15 have the angular form in horizontal section shown by Figs. 4 and 8, and serve not only as elements of means for securing the side and end members together, but also as ornamental enlar enients of the corner portions of the bod fy formed by the side and end members.

I prefer to embody the means for detachably securing the corner members to the side and end members as follows:

Passing horizontally through the corner members and the body members on which they bear, are bolts 21 and 22, the bolts 21 extending crosswise, and the bolts 22 lengthwise of the casket, the bolts in each corner member being arranged at right angles with each other. Said bolts pass through the body members and through angular internal anchoring members 23, bearing on the corner portions of the casket body, the said bolts having heads 24 seated on the senior members, and nuts 25 seated on the anchoring members; The corner members may be made either of relatively fragile material, such as wood, or of metal. In case the corner members are made of wood, they are preferably reinforced, as shown by Fig. 8, bv inetal washers 26, through which the bolts pass, said washers and the bolt heads permanently connecting the bolts to the corner members, so that each corner memher, when removed from the casket body, appears in horizontal section, as shown b Fig. 8. To enable the bolts 21 and 22 to be The corner passed through the side and end members after said members are assembled, I provide one pair of said members, preferably the side members 13, with slots 27, the other body members being provided withorifices 28. The slots 27 enable the corner members to be moved in the directions required to insert their bolts 21 through the side members at or near the outer ends of the slots, the bolts 22 being thus located outside of and in alineinent with the orifices 28. The corner members are then moved in the direction indicated by the arrow m Fig. 8) to insert the 28, and transfer the bolts 21 to the inner ends of the slots 27, as shown by Fig. 4.

After the bolts are thus entered, the an choring members 23 are applied, each anchoring memberhaving an orifice 29, adapted to receive the bolt 21, and a slot '30 adapted to receive the bolt 22. The anchoring member, therefore, may first be applied to the bolt 21, and then swung on said bolt until, its slot 30 receives the bolt 22, after which the nuts 25 are applied to the bolts and tightened until'the corner members and the anchoring members are securely clamped to ether,

' roin the foregoing it will readily be seen that the members may be packed in compact having grooves in form for shipment, and may be readily assembled to provldeanopel'ative casket.

The eite'rnal surfacesofthe' side and end members; and of the corner members, may be carved, or molded to impart an ornamental shape thereto, as indicated hyFigse; 1 2, 3 and 7. i i f i If desired, cloth facings may be cemented to the exposed surfaces of the side, end, and corner members. Said facings cover the heads of the bolts 22 so that no fastening devices are visible the bolts being secured' by the nuts in the casket. The cover 3101 the casket may be of any suitable form, and its underside is preferably recessed, as shown b Figs. 2 and 3, so that other' portions of the casket may be'stored within 1t. 7

The flanged ribs on the bottom member, and the channeled reinforcing strips on the side and end members constitute elements of separable intercngaging' means adapted to pern'lit a preliminary connection between theebottom member and the lower portions of the side and end members, by horizontal sliding movements of the side and end members while the bottom member rests on a horizontal support; Said preliminary connection maintains the side and (and members perpendicular to the bottom nenibenand in position to form a rectangular box body, so that the side and end member's donut require to be otherwise held,"whiie the absequent operations of securing the corner pol tions of the body above the bottomare being performed.

I claim:

at the exterior of the casket when the'clorth facingsare employed,

25 with- 1. A knock-down burial casket'cemprising an oblong bottom member, a paift ofiside members, a pair of end membera'the longitudinal and transverse edgesof the bottom member and the lower portions of the inner sides of the side and end members being pro vided with elementscf'separable-interengaging means, permitting engagemenvef the.

'tudinal and transverse edges, side and end members by horizontal slid ng and efidmembera to angular coraid-sand end 7 the lower portions of their 1 r inner sides, formed to be interengaged with said ribs by horizontal sliding movements of the side and end members, on the ribs, the interengagement of said grooves and ribs forming a preliminary connection maintaining the side and end members perpendicular to the bottom member, and in' position to form the body of a rectangular box, angular corner members formed to bear on the external surfaces of the corner portions of said body, angular anchoring members formed to bear on the internal surfaces of said corner portions, and clamping bolts formed to pass through the corner members, the anchoring members, and the interposed portions of said body, and having heads adapted to engage the corner members, and nuts adapted to be seated on the anchoring members, said nuts being operable from within the casket to clamp the corner portions of said body between the corner members and the anchoring members.

3. A knock-down burial casket comprising an oblong bottom member, provided with ribs on its longitudinal and transverse edges, and with spaced apart washers attached to said ribs, and forming interrupted flanges thereon, a pair of side members, a pair of end members, said side and end members being provided with channeled reinforcing strips slidable into engagement with the ribs and interrupted flanges on the bottom memher, to form a preliminary connection maintaining the side and end members perpendicular to the bottom member, and in position to form the body of a rectangular box, angular corner members formed to cover the corner portions of said body, and means for detachably securing the corner members to the side and end members.

4. A knock-down burial casket comprising an oblong bottom member having outwardly projecting flanged ribs on its longitudinal and transverse edges, side and end members having grooves in the lower portions of their inner sides, formed to be interengaged with said ribs by horizontal sliding movements of the side and end members, on the ribs, the interengagement of said grooves and ribs forming a preliminary connection maintaining the side and end members perpendicular to the bottom member, and in position to form the body of a rectangular box, angular corner members formed to bear on the external surfaces of the corner portions of said body, angular anchoring members formed to bear on the internal surfaces of said corner portions, and clamping bolts formed to pass through the corner members, the anchoring members, and the interposed portions of said body, and having heads adapted to engage the corner members, and nuts adapted to be seated on the anchoring members, said nuts being operable from within the casket to clamp the corner portions of said body between the corner members and the anchoring members, the members of one of said pairs being provided with slots arranged to receive some of said bolts, and the members of the other pair being provided with orifices arranged to receive the other bolts, the arrangement being such that the corner members and their bolts are movable in rectilinear directions to enter the bolts in said slots and orifices.

5. A knock-down burial casket substantially as specified by claim 4, the said corner members being provided with reinforcing washers engaged with said bolts, and permanently connecting the bolts with the corner members.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

FREDERICK E. HOLLINS. 

